From Retribution To Redemption
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Background
Background
1 The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Moreshite—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
The book of Micah and Micah’s message was declared to come from the word of the LORD. Now there are about 18 Micah’s in the scripture, but the Micah was the Moreshite. From humble background most likely agricultural much like Amos’s. He was not a trained prophet but he was a called prophet equipped with the word of the Lord.
Micah’s prophecies and ministry time is during 2 Kings and specifically the kings of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. These are the kings of Judah and Micah spoke prophecies both to Northern Israel and to Judah. Micah is a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah.
Micah’s name means “who is like Yahweh”. His book neatly falls into three messages all delineated by the words Listen - 1:2, 3:1, 6:1 and so that is how we will go through this book. Micah’s prophecies calls for God’s people to confess their sin, repent and receive whatever punishment may come from the hands of our gracious God. For who is like our God
18 Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.
His discipline last only a moment but His forgiveness and peace are forever. No one is like our God who can take on situation and bring an entirely other situation to pass from it.
7 “I deserted you for a brief moment, but I will take you back with abundant compassion. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love,” says the Lord your Redeemer.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
Who is Like Our God - to take us from Retribution to Redemption
From Retribution To Redemption
From Retribution To Redemption
Introduction
Introduction
How can you know what someone cares about? Truly cares about? Find out what gets them angry is a good way start. Our anger reveals what matters to us. Last week we saw that Jonah’s anger revealed Jonah mattered to Jonah. We get angry when our kids do things that are dangerous - crossing the road without looking, not coming back on time or checking in (we still do that).
Micah’s prophecy starts with God being really angry. Micah is sent to proclaim the coming judgment not as a warning anymore but now as preparation for what is coming. There is no stopping it from coming now, and this opening may provide a backdrop for the rest of the book, but all hope is not lost for there is no one like our God who comes in retribution but finishes in promise of redemption.
2 Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, earth and everyone in it! The Lord God will be a witness against you, the Lord, from his holy temple. 3 Look, the Lord is leaving his place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth.
4 The mountains will melt beneath him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire, like water cascading down a mountainside. 5 All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Isn’t it Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Isn’t it Jerusalem?
6 Therefore, I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the countryside, a planting area for a vineyard. I will roll her stones into the valley and expose her foundations. 7 All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again for a prostitute.
8 Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like ostriches. 9 For her wound is incurable and has reached even Judah; it has approached my people’s city gate, as far as Jerusalem.
10 Don’t announce it in Gath, don’t weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. 11 Depart in shameful nakedness, you residents of Shaphir; the residents of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is lamenting; its support is taken from you.
12 Though the residents of Maroth anxiously wait for something good, disaster has come from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Harness the horses to the chariot, you residents of Lachish. This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion because Israel’s acts of rebellion can be traced to you. 14 Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib are a deception to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam. 16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in sorrow for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they have been taken from you into exile.
1 Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds! At morning light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. 2 They covet fields and seize them; they also take houses. They deprive a man of his home, a person of his inheritance.
3 Therefore, the Lord says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time. 4 In that day one will take up a taunt against you and lament mournfully, saying, “We are totally ruined! He measures out the allotted land of my people. How he removes it from me! He allots our fields to traitors.”
5 Therefore, there will be no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by casting lots. 6 “Quit your preaching,” they preach. “They should not preach these things; shame will not overtake us.” 7 House of Jacob, should it be asked, “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these the things he does?” Don’t my words bring good to the one who walks uprightly?
8 But recently my people have risen up like an enemy: You strip off the splendid robe from those who are passing through confidently, like those returning from war. 9 You force the women of my people out of their comfortable homes, and you take my blessing from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave, for this is not your place of rest because defilement brings destruction— a grievous destruction! 11 If a man comes and utters empty lies— “I will preach to you about wine and beer”— he would be just the preacher for this people!
12 I will indeed gather all of you, Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the middle of its pasture. It will be noisy with people. 13 One who breaks open the way will advance before them; they will break out, pass through the city gate, and leave by it. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord as their leader.
Retribution Is Coming
Retribution Is Coming
Through the Lord
Through the Lord
2 Listen, all you peoples; pay attention, earth and everyone in it! The Lord God will be a witness against you, the Lord, from his holy temple. 3 Look, the Lord is leaving his place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth.
Micah starts each of his three messages we are going to be looking at with the word “Listen”. He says listen all you peoples and pay attention earth (or land) and everyone in it. This message is important and must be proclaimed and so Micah is gathering everyone together and telling them all they need to listen up - this isn’t a message to be ignored or something that is only for everyone else but it is for everyone no exclusions.
Micah declares that the Lord will be a witness against them. We know the attitude of the majority of the people is that the Lord is with them, but Micah is proclaiming - understand that the Lord will be a witness AGAINST you!
Then Micah says look, the LORD is leaving His place and coming down to trample the heights of the earth. LORD God leaving the heavenly throne and coming down to walk upon the heights of the earth. His majesty strolling from one mountain peak to another.
Because of Rebellion
Because of Rebellion
4 The mountains will melt beneath him, and the valleys will split apart, like wax near a fire, like water cascading down a mountainside. 5 All this will happen because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Isn’t it Samaria? And what is the high place of Judah? Isn’t it Jerusalem?
Micah next gives a description of how nature receives the coming of the LORD. It is cataclysmic in events. The mountains themselves melt beneath Him. He is coming with the fire of judgment burning so hot the mountains melt beneath Him like wax it describes. The valleys are split apart like water cascading down a mountainside. His coming will be unstoppable and it will be quick and it will fierce. This description is meant to be awful and terrifying to behold.
Why is all this happening? Is the Lord just coming for no reason? No the Lord is coming for one reason for retribution for the sins of the nations - Israel. Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the house of Israel. What is the rebellion of Jacob? Samaria - the capital of the Northern Kingdom and the place of idol worship. The true place of worship was the high place of Judah - Jerusalem, but Samaria was the rebellion of the people against the command and word of the Lord to worship in Jerusalem at the temple. Judah as we will see is not excluded for though she was to be the place of worship of God often times it became a place of idolatry and pagan worship as well - just another high place among high places.
The dramatic and powerful descent of the Lord is because of the sins of His people. Perhaps the people of Judah and Israel may thought it was unfair the Lord coming to them after such a short amount of pagan worship and idolatry. Considering the surrounding nations were more pagan and corrupt.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
If the mountains and valleys fell under the coming of the Lord how terrible it is to be a sinful rebellious man in the presence of the coming Lord.
Resulting in Destruction
Resulting in Destruction
6 Therefore, I will make Samaria a heap of ruins in the countryside, a planting area for a vineyard. I will roll her stones into the valley and expose her foundations. 7 All her carved images will be smashed to pieces; all her wages will be burned in the fire, and I will destroy all her idols. Since she collected the wages of a prostitute, they will be used again for a prostitute.
The sins of the nations and their capitals brought about the destruction from the Lord. Samaria will become a heap of ruins in the country side, a planting area for a vineyard. Her stones will be rolled into the valley and her foundations will be exposed. All her carved images will be smashed to pieces and all her wages be burned in the fire. All her idols will be destroyed personally by God. She collected the wages of a prostitute and will be used again for a prostitute
When the Lord judges sin - the destruction is complete and devastating.
2 As smoke is blown away, so you blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God.
Wailing and Lamentation
Wailing and Lamentation
The Wound Is Incurable
The Wound Is Incurable
8 Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like the jackals and mourn like ostriches. 9 For her wound is incurable and has reached even Judah; it has approached my people’s city gate, as far as Jerusalem.
Micah speaks of wailing and lamenting. The heart of one proclaiming the word of the LORD is understanding two things, what God says comes to pass and that what comes to pass is good and just. Micah is weeping over what will happen - he is broken over the whats coming. Notice here He isnt happy, and isn’t saying they are getting exactly what they deserve. Instead we find Micah mourning as one would mourn at a funeral. He is mourning because the wound is incurable, the judgment is certain and it will come to pass. Judgment has even reached Judah’s gate as far as Jerusalem.
Judgment would reach the very gate of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. when Sennacherib and his army blow through 46 towns in Judah and surround Jerusalem.
Poetic Justice
Poetic Justice
10 Don’t announce it in Gath, don’t weep at all. Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah. 11 Depart in shameful nakedness, you residents of Shaphir; the residents of Zaanan will not come out. Beth-ezel is lamenting; its support is taken from you. 12 Though the residents of Maroth anxiously wait for something good, disaster has come from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem.
13 Harness the horses to the chariot, you residents of Lachish. This was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion because Israel’s acts of rebellion can be traced to you. 14 Therefore, send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath; the houses of Achzib are a deception to the kings of Israel.
15 I will again bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam.
Micah’s message then goes into what is sort of referred to by most a taunt. Micah as we will see continually uses a play on words to make poignant point concerning these various cities from verse 10-15. Though Micah is using puns and word play, this goes beyond clever word games. I connect this back to the ancient idea that a name isn’t just what people call you - but what people know YOU by. Describes prophetically sometimes one’s character and one’s destiny. Understand that our character becomes our future. What we will read next is lost in translation but I will do my best to bring it up to the light so we can appreciate what Micah is saying and how the people would have heard it.
Don’t announce it in Gath and in fact don’t weep at all - dont let the enemy know of the destruction that they might rejoice instead you should:
Roll in the dust in Beth-leaphrah (Beth-leaphrah means house of dust)
Depart in shameful nakedness you residents of Shaphir (beautiful) - it wont be beautiful
The residents of Zaanan (exit or going out) will not come out
Beth-ezel is lamenting its support (God) is taken from you (house, house of God)
Though the residents of Maroth (bitter) anxiously await something good disaster has come from the LORD to the gate of Jerusalem
Harness the horses to the chariot you residents of Lachish this was the beginning of sin for Daughter Zion because Israel’s acts of rebellion can be traced to you. (team of horses - I wouldnt hitch my horse to it) The channel through which idolatry crept into Jerusalem.
Therefore send farewell gifts to Moresheth-gath (Micah’s hometown) - give parting gifts to the place of possession
The houses of Achzib (to deceive) are a deception to the kings of Israel
I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah (an inheritance)
The nobility of Israel will come to Adullam - Adullam is the place of refuge when David fled Saul and it will be where the nobility of Israel flees to.
These are word plays on the name of the city or the location of the city. It would be like saying no love in Philadelphia or
Headed To Exile
Headed To Exile
16 Shave yourselves bald and cut off your hair in sorrow for your precious children; make yourselves as bald as an eagle, for they have been taken from you into exile.
The prophet then gets serious and says they may as well shave their heads in sorrow and mourning.
20 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
12 On that day the Lord God of Armies called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.
29 Cut off the hair of your sacred vow and throw it away. Raise up a dirge on the barren heights, for the Lord has rejected and abandoned the generation under his wrath.’
Bald eagle is sometimes looked at as a reference to USA but that word could easily be translated to vulture as well. Their children will be taken from them into exile - it is sure, and it is a sad day, but it is deserved also.
Sins of the People
Sins of the People
Greed and Oppression
Greed and Oppression
1 Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans on their beds! At morning light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. 2 They covet fields and seize them; they also take houses. They deprive a man of his home, a person of his inheritance.
3 Therefore, the Lord says: I am now planning a disaster against this nation; you cannot free your necks from it. Then you will not walk so proudly because it will be an evil time. 4 In that day one will take up a taunt against you and lament mournfully, saying, “We are totally ruined! He measures out the allotted land of my people. How he removes it from me! He allots our fields to traitors.”
5 Therefore, there will be no one in the assembly of the Lord to divide the land by casting lots.
Woe to those who dream up wickedness and prepare evil plans laying down. In their time of rest they do nothing but plan evil things. What’s worse is that they have the power to accomplish it and so they do.
They covet fields and so they seize them and they take houses. They deprive a man of his home and a person of their inheritance. Both of these things are against the law of God and specifically protected. Israel came from slavery in Egypt and in taking them out and freeing them, they were not to enslave each other. God gave each tribe and family an inheritance of a share of the land, they were not to take it away or lose it in any way. They defrauded and stole -materialistic greed fed through wanton disregard for the rights of their fellow countrymen their brothers and sisters. Taking these things in disregard of God’s laws. Taking more from those who dont even have as much.
Therefore the Lord says “I am planning disaster against this nation and you cannot free your necks” You will not walk proudly then. The Lord will turn the tables on them and instead they will taunt those who dealt wickedly to receive the lands. They will have their land removed and as they cry out they are ruined.
These problems also sound like the problems of today. People taking from others to increase their own wealth and property. People hurting others so that they can have more at the expense of others. People not being content with what they have. When you are not content with what you have you will covet what others have.
Rejecting the Word of God
Rejecting the Word of God
6 “Quit your preaching,” they preach. “They should not preach these things; shame will not overtake us.” 7 House of Jacob, should it be asked, “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient? Are these the things he does?” Don’t my words bring good to the one who walks uprightly?
8 But recently my people have risen up like an enemy: You strip off the splendid robe from those who are passing through confidently, like those returning from war. 9 You force the women of my people out of their comfortable homes, and you take my blessing from their children forever.
10 Get up and leave, for this is not your place of rest because defilement brings destruction— a grievous destruction! 11 If a man comes and utters empty lies— “I will preach to you about wine and beer”— he would be just the preacher for this people!
How do the people receive what Micah is saying? They tell him to quit his preaching, he is wrong they declare no way will shame take us over. We are God’s people and God is for us. They ask is God impatient that He would ever be impatient with us? Are these the things He does? He would never do what Micah speaks about. Forgetting that the Lord promised discipline to the one whom He loves.
12 for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
They disregard the true messenger of God and the true message of God because they do not want to hear that what they are doing is wrong. God’s prophets speak God’s words and what people need to hear, false prophets and false teachers speak what the people would like to hear.
Micah says my people have risen up like an enemy. Stripping the robe from those passing through like those returning from war, plundering and forcing women out of their comfortable homes and take the LORD’s land blessing and inheritance from their children forever.
Therefore you must get up and leave - go into exile. Defilement brings destruction! A grievous destruction indeed.
Micah then rebukes them saying you only receive those who lie to you. Those who tell you what you want. If one were to come preaching beer and wine and such you would receive him. Since they tuned him out and the Word of God out they would be driven out into exile.
This could be an exact description of what we are finding more and more today even within so called churches. Solomon wrote that there is nothing new under the sun - we know that the more things change the more they stay the same. God is not okay with greed and oppression. He is not against wealth - He is against wealth at the expense of the needs of people.
1 But know this: Hard times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.
Promised Remnant
Promised Remnant
Promise of blessing though brief here will be greatly expanded upon in chapters 3-5. What we have here though are two promises, two truths stated to show that there is no one like our God who goes from retribution to redemption.
Regathered Multitude
Regathered Multitude
12 I will indeed gather all of you, Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the middle of its pasture. It will be noisy with people.
The Lord promises that though they will be scattered into exile, that the Lord will regather them as His people and He as their Shepherd. He promises to bring them together again like a flock and it will be noisy with the multitude of people.
1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Jesus used this same figure of speech found here in Micah. They are in an enclosure and Jesus as the Shepherd will lead them out. The long awaited time of blessing will come about for the nation of Israel in the Millennium.
Led By Their King
Led By Their King
13 One who breaks open the way will advance before them; they will break out, pass through the city gate, and leave by it. Their King will pass through before them, the Lord as their leader.
He will gather as their Shepherd and lead forth as their King - He will break open and clear the way for His sheep and lead them out - advancing before them. He has not abandoned them, but intends to gather them in order to lead them passing through them as their leader.
Though judgment was promised they could not “out sin” God’s grace and goodness. He promises a restoration of the remnant of Israel. They will be noisy because the remnant is many and not few.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Today we must deal with covetousness , selfishness and the willingness to endure false teaching and doctrine. We must continue to fight off and abandon any sort of “soft religion” that pampers us, our pride and seeks our own comfort over others and makes it easy for us to sin. God is a consuming fire
29 for our God is a consuming fire.
30 For we know the one who has said, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people.
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
Beware what you do in your leisure time - God’s people who should have been meditating on God’s word were instead lying in their beds dreaming up and meditating on how they would acquire more and plotting what they would do.
What Word do you desire and tolerate?
The sons of people were the reason for God retribution it is His faithful love for His people that is the reason for His mercy towards them. Oh Who is Like Our God? Even today His mercy reaches out to rebellious people that whoever would admit their sin and seek forgiveness in Jesus Christ would find not retribution but instead the promise of redemption.